Schwann Cell Precursors; Multipotent Glial Cells in Embryonic Nerves
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REVIEW published: 26 March 2019 doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00069 Schwann Cell Precursors; Multipotent Glial Cells in Embryonic Nerves Kristjan R. Jessen* and Rhona Mirsky Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom The cells of the neural crest, often referred to as neural crest stem cells, give rise to a number of sub-lineages, one of which is Schwann cells, the glial cells of peripheral nerves. Crest cells transform to adult Schwann cells through the generation of two well defined intermediate stages, the Schwann cell precursors (SCP) in early embryonic nerves, and immature Schwann cells (iSch) in late embryonic and perinatal nerves. SCP are formed when neural crest cells enter nascent nerves and form intimate relationships with axons, a diagnostic feature of glial cells. This involves large-scale changes in gene expression, including the activation of established glial cell markers. Like early glia in the CNS, radial glia, SCP retain developmental multipotency and contribute to other crest- derived lineages during embryonic development. SCP, as well as closely related cells termed boundary cap cells, and later stages of the Schwann cell lineage have all been implicated as the tumor initiating cell in NF1 associated neurofibromas. iSch are formed from SCP in a process that involves the appearance of additional differentiation markers, autocrine survival circuits, cellular elongation, a formation of endoneurial connective Edited by: tissue and basal lamina. Finally, in peri- and post-natal nerves, iSch are reversibly induced Virginie Neirinckx, by axon-associated signals to form the myelin and non-myelin Schwann cells of adult Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg nerves. This review article discusses early Schwann cell development in detail and Reviewed by: describes a large number of molecular signaling systems that control glial development Joao Relvas, in embryonic nerves. i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal Keywords: Schwann cell precursor, neural crest, nerve development, PNS, Schwann cell lineage, PNS glia, Gang Chen, multipotent glia Nantong University, China *Correspondence: INTRODUCTION Kristjan R. Jessen [email protected] The cells of the neural crest often referred to as neural crest stem cells, give rise to a number of sub-lineages, one of which is the glial cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This group of Received: 10 December 2018 cells includes the myelin and Remak (non-myelin) Schwann cells in peripheral nerves, terminal Accepted: 04 March 2019 Schwann cells at the neuromuscular junction, satellite glial cells in ganglia and enteric glial cells in Published: 26 March 2019 the gut. This review article will focus on the appearance of the Schwann cell sublineage, the major Citation: PNS glial population and the one that has been most intensively studied. Jessen KR and Mirsky R In rodents, neural crest cells transform to Schwann cells of adult nerves through the (2019) Schwann Cell Precursors; Multipotent Glial Cells in generation of two well defined intermediate stages. These are the Schwann cell precursors Embryonic Nerves. (SCP) in early embryonic nerves, and immature Schwann cells (iSch) in late embryonic Front. Mol. Neurosci. 12:69. and perinatal nerves (Figure 1). The lineage therefore includes three main developmental doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00069 transitions: (1) the formation of SCP from crest cells; (2) the generation of iSch from SCP; Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience| www.frontiersin.org 1 March 2019 | Volume 12 | Article 69 Jessen and Mirsky Schwann Cell Development FIGURE 1 | Main transitions in the Schwann cell lineage. A scheme illustrating key cell types involved in Schwann cell development, and in nerve repair. Also shown are the alternative cells that can develop from Schwann cell precursors (SCP) in addition to immature Schwann cells (iSch). Black uninterrupted arrows: normal developmental transitions. Red arrows: the Schwann cell injury response. Stippled arrows: post-repair formation of myelin and Remak cells (with permission from Jessen et al., 2015b). and (3) the mostly postnatal divergence of iSch to adopt the closely integrated with axons in newly formed nerves and rely strikingly different phenotypes of myelin and Remak (non- acutely on axonal signals for survival. Axons and associated SCP myelin) Schwann cells (Jessen and Mirsky, 2005a; Jessen form the compact structures of embryonic nerves, from which et al., 2015b; Monk et al., 2015). A fourth major phenotypic connective tissue is excluded. Present evidence indicates that SCP transformation potentially takes place in the adult. This is are restricted to embryonic nerves, and these cells have not been triggered by nerve injury which transforms myelin and Remak shown to take part in the maintenance of adult nerves or in the cells to repair Schwann cells, cells that are specialized to response of peripheral nerves to injury. support nerve regeneration (Jessen and Arthur-Farraj, 2019; Jessen and Mirsky, 2016). Immature Schwann Cells (iSch) This review article will focus on the embryonic phase of SCP form iSch that are present in mouse nerves from E15–16 Schwann cell development. We will discuss the phenotype and (E17–18 in rat) extending to the perinatal period. iSch associate biology of SCP, the generation and the distinctive properties with connective tissue and basal lamina inside nerves, which of iSch, and the signals that control survival, proliferation and at this stage also contain blood vessels, and do not depend on lineage progression in this system. axons for survival. Starting around birth, these cells take part in a process termed radial sorting (Feltri et al., 2016). This generates Schwann cells in a 1:1 ratio with the larger diameter axons. OUTLINE OF THE NEURAL CREST In rodents, these cells are referred to as pro-myelin cells and SCHWANN CELL LINEAGE they mostly go on to form myelin sheaths. In humans, however, many axons in a 1:1 ratio remain unmyelinated. The smaller Schwann Cell Precursors (SCP) axons do not take part in radial sorting, but gradually associate SCP are found in mouse embryonic nerves at embryo day with iSch by taking up a position in shallow troughs along their (E) 12–13 (rat E14–15). These cells have the characteristic surface, thus forming Remak bundles (Jessen and Mirsky, 2005a; phenotype of glial cells as we will discuss in the following section. Monk et al., 2015). Interestingly, SCP appears to retain the stem-cell-like feature of developmental multipotency, a cell biological feature that they Axonal Signals share with early glial cells in the CNS, the radial glia (Pinto Schwann cell development is to a striking degree dependent and Götz, 2007; Kriegstein and Alvarez-Buylla, 2009). SCP are on and driven by, axon-associated signals. They ensure the Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience| www.frontiersin.org 2 March 2019 | Volume 12 | Article 69 Jessen and Mirsky Schwann Cell Development survival of SCP and promote their differentiation, determine cell cycle regulators, cytoskeleton-associated molecules and whether iSch differentiate as myelin or Remak cells and govern molecules involved in cell growth and differentiation. Large the highly specialized architecture and molecular expression number of these genes, such as the genes encoding for MBP, of myelin Schwann cells. Signals from axons also drive the PLP22, desert hedgehog (Dhh) and BFABP, are Schwann proliferation of developing Schwann cells until they fall out of cell-associated in the sense that their expression persists division at the pro-myelin stage (Webster and Favilla, 1984). In or is further up-regulated during subsequent Schwann cell undisturbed adult nerves, myelin and Remak cells are mitotically development (Figure 5; Jaegle et al., 2003; Buchstaller et al., quiescent but transiently re-enter the cell cycle after nerve 2004; Takahashi and Osumi, 2005; D’Antonio et al., 2006b; injury and in some pathological conditions (Chen et al., 2007; Li et al., 2007). Stierli et al., 2018). The SCP described here are glial cells for the following reasons. First, the tight and intimate association with neurons Boundary Cap Cells and their processes, and envelopment of axons is a defining The present article deals with Schwann cell development feature of glial cells in the normal PNS and CNS, and this as elucidated in studies on spinal nerves, such as the holds true both for development and the adult state. Second, developing sciatic nerve. Other studies have focussed on the transition from crest cells to SCP involves large-scale Schwann cells, and other cellular derivatives that emerge changes in gene expression, and among the genes that are from a distinct sub-population of crest cells, called boundary activated in SCP are many glial-associated genes that are cap sells (Maro et al., 2004; Coulpier et al., 2009; Radomska also expressed by Schwann cells (Figure 5). Third, SCP, but and Topilko, 2017). Boundary cap derived Schwann cells not crest cells, are strikingly dependent on axonal signals for are particularly important in ensheathing the axons of survival and differentiation. This is a characteristic feature of the spinal nerve roots. They have a distinct molecular Schwann cells, where axonal signals are essential for proliferation signature, including early expression of the pan Schwann and differentiation. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) type III is a major cell marker S100 and the transcription factor Krox20 axonal signal controlling both SCP survival